How to add food colouring to a drink to change the appearance & make it taste different

Written by tom ryan| 13/05/2017

You don't need the luck o' the Irish to make green beer. (Getty Thinkstock)

Whether you are dyeing a green beer for St. Patrick's Day, mixing up a blue Hawaiian or simply colouring your party's punch, adding food colouring to a drink gives it a customised colour of your own choosing. While food colouring won't change the taste of your drink, it makes it look festive in whatever colour of the rainbow you want.

Things you need

Bottled beer (light-coloured beers work best)

Glasses

Food colouring (various colours)

Stirring spoon

Coconut rum

Ice

Pineapple juice

Soda water

Punch

Green Beer

Tilt your glass and slowly pour your drink to avoid building up a foamy head.

Drop in six drops of blue food colouring while slowly stirring to achieve a dull, olive green colouring.

Pour another glass.

Drop in six drops of green food colouring while slowly stirring for a bright, sparkly emerald green colouring.

Blue Hawaiian

Mix a shot of coconut rum in a glass with ice, pineapple juice and a splash of soda.

Coloured Party Punch

Mix a batch of coloured party punch by adding food colouring quickly to a prepared bowl of the drink -- instead of squirting one drop at a time, squirt a steady stream of the colouring while stirring the mixture.

Stir the mixture throughout the party to prevent the contents from settling.

Place different containers of food colouring near the empty glasses and do not add dye to communal punch bowl -- this way, guests can add colouring to their own drinks for personalised concoctions.